Walk Me Home
by justanoutlaw
Summary: Drizella's curse separated every family, turning them into people they didn't recognize. Mary Margaret Aarons would do anything to provide for her son. Unfortunately in doing so, she's missed out on him putting his life at risk. When David Shepherd becomes his mentor, she's skeptical at first but soon finds herself falling in love. If only life were ever that easy.


**_My take on "If Snowing, Emma and "Baby Neal" were there when S7's curse was cast. They say they'll always find each other, but Drizella's curse made it a lot harder for families to do so._**

**_The main priority in this fic is Snowing & The Charming Family. However, there will be aspects of the Charming-Mills Family as that is my kryptonite and they're all in one town. There will also be Wish!Hook, Alice and Rumple (the latter of whom seems like an ass in the first chapter but remember, his cursed persona was). Tags are your friends. Mentions of prostitution, stripping, hard financial times, past alcohol abuse and more. I will tag appropriately as we go. If there's anything you want to see or you're confused about, just let me know._**

**_As always, you can send me questions, prompts, etc. on my Twitter, Tumblr or CuriousCat: justanoutlawfic._**

_Tryna stand up on my own two feet_

_This conversation ain't comin' easily_

_And darling, I know it's getting late_

_So what do you say we leave this place?_

_Walk me home in the dead of night_

_I can't be alone with all that's on my mind, mhm_

_So say you'll stay with me tonight_

_'Cause there is so much wrong going on outside-Pink_

"_**And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you."**_

― _**Kiersten White, The Chaos of Stars**_

"_A pirate, a princess, Snow White, a shepherd, Jack and the beanstalk and a savior," a sick smile developed over Drizella's face as she looked over the group. "Ooh, how will I ever defeat you?"_

_Snow held her arrow out towards the sorceress."You won't win, Drizella. I've faced witches a lot more powerful than you."_

_Drizella let out a bitter laugh. " Oh, Snow White. So cute, so full of hope...and so forgetting I've learned a thing or two from your former enemy."_

"_You want a witch fight?" Zelena challenged. "Happy to oblige."_

_Regina, Emma and Zelena had fireballs ready, while Jack, Ella, Killian and David had their swords drawn. Drizella looked between them, shaking her head._

"_You see, I'm not casting this curse…" She looked over at Regina. "You are."_

_Regina's brows furrowed. Her hand stayed raised, not letting herself become a target. "What?"_

_Drizella snapped her fingers towards one of the other witches. "Show her."_

_They disappeared into the night and returned a few moments later planked with someone between them. The person wore a black cloak with a hood that covered their head. Drizella strutted over and ripped it off, revealing Henry. His face was drenched with sweat, his mouth tied up. Regina and Emma's fireballs instantly went out, Ella's sword clanged to the ground, the three of them running to him. The two witches holding onto him let him fall to the ground with a thud. David, Killian, Jack, Zelena and Snow kept their weapons drawn, with clear worry written across their face. Snow couldn't keep her eyes off her grandson as Regina and Ella pulled the cloth from around his mouth. He began coughing violently._

"_Henry! Baby!" Ella cried out._

_Regina looked up at Drizella, tears in her eyes. Snow wanted nothing more than to pull her into her arms and never let go. "What did you do to him?!"_

"_What witches do best. I poisoned him."_

_Regina tried to fix her son. Snow watched as she used every spell she knew. She even attempted true love's kiss, Ella and Emma did too. It all fell short._

"_It's not working!" Regina shouted._

_Drizella stepped forward. "And it's not going to. As a matter of fact, the only thing that can is a trip to a land without magic."_

"_Don't do this, Drizella," Emma pleaded._

"_Curses take time," Snow pointed out._

_Regina nodded as Ella clutched Henry closer to her. "And ingredients."_

"_Yes, eight in fact. And I have seven right here." She gestured to the spider web in the ground. Seven of the lines lit up as the wind blustered around them. "The only one I'm missing the most important one, and, of course, the hardest to find is magic from a witch who crushed the heart of the thing she loves most."_

_Regina grasped her eyes closed and Snow could feel David's hand fall through hers. They had thought they were done paying the price for Regina's curse. Yet, here they were. She was the only way to save her son, their grandson. It was never going to not be apart of them._

"_So Regina," Drizella said. "What'll it be? My curse." Henry started coughing more violently and Ella cuddled him closer. A choked sob escaped Snow's lips. "Or his life?"_

_There was a still silence on the mountain top. Occasionally, Henry let out a strangle cough and Ella would soothe him, but for the most part, Regina stared at her son. Snow White thought of her son and great-granddaughter. They were with Tiana elsewhere in the castle. They were safe, for now. But what would happen to Lucy if she lost her father? What would happen to their family? She didn't want another curse. She didn't want to be apart from her family again._

_At the same time, she couldn't let her grandson die._

_She looked at David. His eyes were pained, but they didn't need words to say what they knew in their hearts. He agreed. She spared him a kiss, knowing it may be their last for a very long time._

_Snow kept her arrow pointed at Drizella and moved closer to her friend, dropping to her knees beside her and taking her hand. Regina looked up at her, then back at Ella and Emma. The three of them nodded. Snow's hand slipped through her daughter's to comfort her and Emma squeezed it. Tears squeezed down her face as she looked down at her son. Snow knew that she'd do this for Regina if she could. They all would. Unfortunately, it was a price no one else could pay. Regina drew a deep breath, before looking back at her former student._

"_Fine." Regina's voice was quiet, resigned. Take away her son and she was broken. Without him, she'd be lost. Snow knew that, and she'd do anything to save her grandchild for that reason alone. "I'll do it."_

"_Regina!" Zelena's shrill voice rang out as Regina moved to walk towards Drizella. "You can't!"_

"_Zelena, move."_

"_This is not what he wants!"  
"He can't very well say what he wants, can he!" Emma thundered. Snow squeezed her hand tighter._

_Killian took a step forward. "Would you not do the same for Robin? I know I would for Alice?"_

_That seemed to resonate with Zelena. She bit her lip and stepped to the side, allowing her sister to move forward. Snow looked back at her daughter, who was holding onto Henry's arm. He was apologizing, actually apologizing to Ella for not being able to stop this. The tears fell down Snow's face as Ella and Emma tried to assure him that this wasn't his fault. He had done all he could. Lucy and Neal were safe, they were going to be okay._

_Regina completed the ritual and the purple smoke began to ripple. Ella and Emma rose to the ground, both walking to Snow and David._

"_We're going to find our way back to you," David promised his daughter. He pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tight. Snow joined in on the hug. "Remember that. It's always back to each other, then to you."_

_Emma nodded, letting out a tiny sob. "I love you, Dad, Mom."_

"_We love you too, sweetie," Snow whispered._

_Was this their fate? To always be separated?_

_Ella tapped Snow on the shoulder and the two stepped off to the side. "Under the first curse, you didn't have Emma," she shouted over the swirling wind._

"_Well, no."_

"_And you're probably not going to have Neal now."_

_Snow bit her lip. She didn't want to think of her son being alone. She wanted to hope he would be okay, that somehow, they would be together. "I have to have hope. He's with Lucy and Tiana. Maybe he and Lucy...they'll end up with us."_

"_They're just kids." Ella looked back at her husband before returning her eyes to her grandmother-in-law. "How are we supposed to be there for them if we don't know who they are?"_

_Snow wanted to give another hope speech. She wanted to ease her granddaughter-in-law's fears. Yet, as she looked back at the grown daughter she never got to raise and the grandson that had been torn from his moms time and time again, she couldn't find any. She had nearly lost Neal once when he was a baby. When she got him back, she vowed she'd never let him go again._

_Where would he go? Would he be okay? Would he and Lucy be orphans like Emma had been?_

"_Excuse me."_

_The two women turned back to find Killian standing there. It was still odd to see the man who looked so much like the Captain Hook she knew back in Storybrooke, while also being so different. This one was gentler, kinder and clearly had more to live for. Becoming a father had truly changed his life._

"_Take this." He slipped a porcelain elephant into Ella's hand. "Each of you hold onto an end. If you do that...you'll be with your children."_

_Snow stared at him, unsure of what to say. Instead, she gave him a quick hug and took hold of the other end. Regina and Zelena stood together, Jack not far behind them. Snow wasn't sure, but she thought he was staring at the two strangely. Almost...with a glare. She didn't have much time to give it a second thought. Her eyes trained on her daughter and husband. Their hands were intertwined, prepared for the curse together. Snow's last thought before the curse hit was her son._

"_**I'm gonna see you soon, baby."**_

On the far end of Hyperion Heights, there's a run down two family house. It hasn't been painted in over a decade and the blue has long since turned grey. Windows are crooked and bird shit is encrusted on the paneling. The porch railing is loose, a lawsuit waiting to happen if the landlord even cared.

On one half, there's the Aarons. It's the longest home they've been in. Chipped alphabet magnets hold up old pictures on the fridge because they are too poor to afford frames. They show a little boy growing into an angsty teen with longer dark hair. The cabinets have a couple boxes of cereal, a bag of Oreos and a six pack of Kraft mac and cheese. The fridge is just as bare bones with milk for the boy, coffee creamer for his mom.

A kitchen table that's never used anymore sits there with four chairs, as if there was meant to be more people. The living room has an uncomfortable rose couch and a TV with a large back. The rooms are chaotic messes. His filled with clothes, comic books and a stash of money he hopes his mother never finds. Hers with blankets, cigarettes and a closet full of clothes she also never wants him to discover. He's just a little boy. He doesn't need to know what she does to pay rent every month.

It's a house full of secrets. A house full of tension. A house with vague memories of good times...but they can't exactly the last time they just sat down and smiled.

Jake knew his mother was gone when he woke up that morning. A note outside his door informed him that Roni could swing an extra waitress, so she'd work the morning shift. She had another shift at the other bar in another suburb of Seattle later that night. He'd be alone.

_**Remember to lock the door when you get home. Remy told me there was a break-in last week. I love you-Mom.**_

Jake got his backpack together, throwing in the latest Vonnegut he borrowed from the library. He downed some Cheerios, doing the dishes before he left. His feet carried him past the bus stop, throwing up his black hood as he dodged the police station. The last thing he needs is a run-in with Detective Weaver and his lovely band of assholes.

Another turn and he's arrived. The bodega on Third Street. A place to buy cigarettes, off-brand snacks and delicious breakfast sandwiches.

"You were nearly late," Asher tells him.

"Sorry, foot traffic."

"You should get a bike."

Jake had to hold back a laugh. All his money goes to helping pay the bills. Not that his mom's noticed the landlord stopped hounding her for rent. She really thinks he's giving her more time. Jake's lucky. Not that he knows what he'll do when report card season comes out.

The bodega is good work. He makes good money, under the table. Asher believed him when he said he was 18 and didn't ask for ID. Jake knew deep down, maybe his boss felt sorry for him. Maybe he knew that Jake was really 15 and assumed he was just a drop out. Everyone always says he has such a baby face. Though who knows, maybe he actually grew out of it. At the very least, he gets an employee discount and can help put food in the fridge.

It's not like he missed every day of school anyway. When he started out, it was supposed to be a weekend job. Then Asher asked him to work a Monday morning and rent was coming up, he could hear his mom begging for an extension on the phone. So, Jake said yes. One Monday morning lead to two and soon he was working on Mondays and Wednesdays, and picking up any shifts Asher needed. He went to school when he could. Well, even when he didn't have work, the teachers were annoyed with his lack of attendance and his grades so that made him skip. But he tried anyway.

Around 12, Asher gave him his break and he headed into the alleyway. He pulled out his book and his discounted egg and cheese sandwich to nibble on. He's only a few pages in when he hears the cough. It's one he knows well by now. Jake dropped the sandwich, but kept the book. The last thing they can afford is a library late fee.

He ran for as long as he could. His lungs hurt and his stomach felt winded. Jake wanted to stop, but he could feel the cop on his tail.

"Fuck," he mumbled as he tried to pull into another alleyway.

He didn't see the rock and went flying. He landed face first in some brick wall. The pain filled his face and he cursed himself internally. That was going to leave a mark. How would he explain that one to his mom?

"Are you alright, son?"

That soft voice wasn't Weaver. As he was helped to his feet, Jake found himself face to face with a new cop. He had dark hair and gentle blue eyes. Despite his now swelling eye, Jake could make out "Rogers" on his name badge.

"'m fine," he mumbled. "I gotta get back to work."  
"Afraid we can't allow that." Now that, was Weaver. Jake groaned. "C'mon, Jacob."

"Fuck off."

"Love the tact." He gruffly pulled him away from Weaver. "Why aren't school?"

Jake jutted out his upper lip and could see blood. "None of your business."

Weaver rolled his eyes. "Fine, don't talk to me. I'll just call Mary Margaret."

Jake's resolve softened. "She's at work, please don't bother her with this…"

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to skip school. Again."

Weaver started to drag him off, but Jake wormed his way out of his grip.

"I know where the station is by now," he bit at him. "I can follow."

Jake kept a good distance behind the cops as they headed on foot to the nearby staiton. God, this was the last thing his mother needed. As they pulled out of the alleway, he could hear Rogers pleading for him at least.

"Maybe we could just drop the lad at school, make him promise not to do this again."

"Detective, I've known Jake Aarons a number of years. This is what works and it barely does. His mother is the only person who will get through to him."

Maybe it was just his swollen eye, but Jake swore he saw some doubt in Rogers as the latter pulled out his phone and dialed a number.


End file.
